Archive for June 30th, 2009
Tuesday, June 30th, 2009The agitating garment workers burned down six factories, two warehouses and several vehicles of Ha-Meem Group at Narasinghapur in Ashulia on the outskirts of the capital yesterday.They also vandalised 50 other factories and over 20 vehicles.Over 20,000 demonstrators stormed the Ha-Meem Group complex at around 10:00am and set fire to the factories inside after pouring petrol, said witnesses.The apparel group came under attack as its workers did not join the protest over the death of two workers in clashes with Ansars and police on Saturday and Sunday.The rioters rampaged through the area outside the complex as well, damaging the ...
(read more) Tuesday, June 30th, 2009Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina yesterday announced in parliament that her government would not intervene in the Anti-Corruption Commission's (ACC) drives to curb graft from the society.She came down heavily on the main opposition BNP for their absence in the budget session without "any issues related to public interest". She also questioned the motives behind their current opposition of the Tipaimukh dam saying they remained silent about the issue when in power."Corruption is ruining the society like termites. Corruption eats up all budgetary allocation for development like the termites," Hasina said in the discussion on the proposed budget.She also announced that ...
(read more) Tuesday, June 30th, 2009Sacking of about 1,000 workers of a sick garment factory was at the root of yesterday's mayhem in Ashulia. But it fanned at a stunning speed the festering anger of workers of a large number of sick garment factories. Ultimately, some 50,000 workers took part in the wholesale vandalising and damaging of about 50 garment units in Ashulia.The current global meltdown had a background part to play in the whole thing as scores of factories turned sick due to reduced orders.Low and delayed wage payments following the recession also helped trigger the unrest that took at least two lives ...
(read more) Tuesday, June 30th, 2009Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina yesterday told the House that her government would be able to solve the controversial Tipaimukh Dam problem through bilateral talks with India.“All the problems can be solved through talks. We have signed historic Ganges water treaty, ensuring fair share of the river water. We will be able to resolve the Tipaimukh issue,” Hasina said while she was speaking on the proposed budget.Referring to the cardinal principle of Bangladesh's foreign policy--- friendship with all and malice towards none, the prime minister said her government wants to move forward in line with the policy.She criticised the main opposition ...
(read more) Tuesday, June 30th, 2009Leader of the opposition Khaleda Zia yesterday sent a letter to Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina seeking cooperation in sending a separate delegation to the proposed Tipaimukh dam site.The letter contained names of six nominated members of the delegation. The team includes--two former BNP ministers MK Anwar and maj (retd) Hafizuddin Ahmed, former water resources secretary Mohammad Asafuddoula, former vice-chancellor of Dhaka University Prof Moniruzzaman Miah, former director of Water Development Board Sharif Rafiqul Islam and water expert Prof M Abdur Rob.A three-member BNP delegation led by party joint secretary Nazrul Islam Khan handed the letter to prime minister's Assignment Officer ...
(read more) Tuesday, June 30th, 2009Amidst widespread criticism, the government has retracted its earlier decision to allow whitening of black money for the next three years, and instead declared that this scope would now be available only for the next year.Finance Minister AMA Muhith in his closing speech on the finance bill declared the government's revised decisions in the parliament yesterday.He said the source of the money would have to be disclosed, adding that the scope for whitening money would remain valid from July 2009 to June 2010 in new industries and infrastructures as well as in the share market.If investment is made ...
(read more) Tuesday, June 30th, 2009Dhaka City Corporation (DCC) yesterday announced its budget for the fiscal year (FY) 2009-2010 increasing allocation for traffic infrastructure development and maintenance by 32.04 percent over that of FY 2008-09.DCC Mayor Sadeque Hossain Khoka placed a Tk 1411.58 crore budget at Mohanagar Natya Mancha.It has reduced allocation for special cleaning drive by 11.36 percent, which may affect the city's cleaning activities.Addressing the ceremony, Khoka announced that DCC would construct a graveyard on 100 acres of land under a Tk 254 crore project adjacent to flood protection embankment in the city although the mayor has failed to keep his earlier pledge ...
(read more) Tuesday, June 30th, 2009Awami League (AL) lawmaker Suranjit Sengupta criticised some ministers for speaking only about their own constituencies rather than the entire country during discussion on the proposed budget in parliament yesterday.Suranjit, chief of the parliamentary standing committee on law, justice and parliamentary affairs ministry, also fired a broadside at a number of ministers for being absent during budget discussion in the morning."Ministers do not speak for the country, they limit their discussion on the problems of their constituencies. What will you do with this kind of ministers, Honourable Speaker?" Suranjit said.He criticised Finance Minister AMA Muhith and Deputy Leader of ...
(read more) Tuesday, June 30th, 2009The government said yesterday that it would take tough action to stop the chaos in the RMG sector and bring the persons responsible for the violence to book."We will investigate the incidents and ensure punishment of those involved directly or indirectly with the violence," Labour and Employment and Expatriate Welfare and Overseas Employment Minister Khandker Mosharraf Hossain said after an emergency inter-ministerial meeting.The meeting was called after directions from Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in the wake of a series of violence in the garments sector over the last few days.Commerce minister Faruk Khan, State Minister for Labour and ...
(read more) Tuesday, June 30th, 2009Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) yesterday blamed government 'failure' to ensure law and order as the main reason behind last three days' incidents in Ashulia-Savar industrial belt near the capital, resulting in damage worth around Tk 300crore.Leaders of the BGMEA refused to recognise the incidents as 'labour unrest'. They claimed that these were instigated by 'outsiders' involved in creating troubles in the sector at different times.They however did not specify the outsiders.The BGMEA leaders demanded a transparent probe into such incidents one after another in the last few years.They met the labour minister and commerce minister yesterday and ...
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